Is the perfect town in Maine? (Portland, Lewiston: appointed, insurance, day care)

[ogre]

Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself here, by trying to find possible places to settle down. I'll soon be taking the plunge and returning to school (grad school). I'm looking at schools all over the country and won't be seriously looking for that ideal place to settle once and for all until I'm done with school in a few years. Still, Mollysmiles' thread "Negative Posts About Maine" offers a humorous and good-natured look at Maine's best features. Reading the posts there had me thinking that Maine sounded pretty nice, which has inspired me to at least ask about what Maine might have to offer, for when the time does come to settle.

The history: Grew up in MA, in a Boston suburb, then, oh, a number of years ago, went to college in OH, where I fell in love with the college's hometown. It was a real all-American, hometown USA kind of place, much different, much more friendly, much more of a REAL TOWN than the tidy but bland and pretentious little suburb of my childhood. I lived in this town a few years beyond college, and always felt a tug-of-war between the sense that I was living in nearly the ideal local community and my desire to live closer to my family in MA and to the outdoor recreation opportunities in the Northeast. Circumstances led me back east, and I've been in MA ever since, but since then have always felt a longing to find my way back to another town like the one I had fallen for in OH. Recently, at the Ohio forum, I ran across a user's description of her ideal town. It sounded so much like MY ideal town that I thought it would take only a few minor changes to get to my picture of the ultimate place.



Description in the OH forum:

My small town is a thriving “Main Street USA” kind of town. It’s not a tiny little small town, but rather a completely self sufficient large-small town or very small city.

There is a downtown business district, (larger than one block) with a combination of restaurants and NON TOURISTY shops. Some restaurants are casual, while others are upscale. A few of the shops can be touristy, but the majority are actual stores that residents of the town can shop at (five and dime, hardware, jewelry, barber shop, ice cream, blue plate café, pharmacy, dry cleaner, etc). The people of the community are friendly, regular everyday people, not pretentious. The schools are exceptional. The town is not depressed.

My town has:

A local movie theatre and a small historic hotel

A town square, with fountain and/or gazebo, surrounded by a business district

A community pool or beach

An active recreation department

Pond or lake where my son can fish

Tree lined streets of stately older homes

Friendly, regular everyday people, not pretentious

Community festivals, parades and outings

Block Parties

Live community theatre

“Walk to” activities and hangout for my older children

Access to a city

Climate: Four distinct seasons. Cold (not bitter) winters with average snowfall, not constant blizzards. Hot summers. Spring that lasts continually (not intermittent days here and there) from March through May. Falls with beautiful foliage and pumpkin /apple festivals. [quote: katiecabot]



How I would tweak this description:

Local movie theater: I'd prefer a multi-screen movie theater, so it would be convenient to watch the latest films. If the town also had an old-fashioned downtown theater, so much the better. Other basic kinds of recreation that would be nice--not absolutely necessary, but I'd like it if they were there--would be bowling and maybe putt-putt.

Small historic hotel: optional.

Town square or common: Might be nice, but is also optional. Gazebo? Not only optional, but I'd almost consider it a negative, as it seems that this might indicate the town is trying too hard to seem neighborly or quaint, instead of genuinely being so. If you know of an exception, though, by all means tell me about the town.

Pond or lake: Well, I don't have a son, but a pond or lake for me would be nice. Not absolutely necessary, but a definite plus.

Festivals, parades, block parties: I don't need an abundance. The usual parades, July 4th fireworks, etc., that any reasonably active town will have is fine.

Walk-to activities: Not for the kids, since I don't have children, but I'd love a place for myself where I could live in a pleasant neighborhood and walk to many, even most, of the places in town I would frequent. For me, walking distance can be a number of blocks, and does not have to be just around the corner.

Access to a city: So how close to a city? I'm looking for a town with its own economic base, where there are enough people who live, work, and enjoy leisure time right in town so that there's enough daily interaction with local residents to build the kind of real community feeling that's hard to find in a bedroom town. An outlying suburb, beyond the main commuting range, but still on the fringe of a metro area, would be nice, but it doesn't have to be that close. Let's just say I'd have to think long and hard about something way to the north--Presque Isle, Houlton, Fort Kent, and such. If you know about towns to the north that sound good, I'd be interested in some info, but the preferred area really would be southern or mid Maine.

Weather: I have an idea what Maine's weather is like. I can handle it.

Also: 1) Like the description in the quote, not depressed is very important. A reasonably prosperous (which does NOT have to mean upscale and exclusive) place, with a clean, active, viable downtown, where the young people are not leaving town in droves, is really a must; 2) My politics are more or less mainstream conservative, and I'd like a place where I'd find the political climate comfortable. I don't mean extreme right wing, but a place with solid, decent folks, who, no matter their party affiliation, are down to earth, and approach politics with common sense, and respect other people's right to their views. Definitely need to avoid heavily left-wing towns where people would try to force these views on me, would be hostile toward those who don't lean heavily to the left themselves, and would maintain a school system, which, should I eventually have children, would try to indoctrinate them into political correctness; 3) I'd like to hear about towns with or without colleges, but a small college, large enough to add to the town's character, but small enough not to completely define its character, would be a real plus.

Wow, that's it! Really. Except for one more thing: Please don't be put off by my history in MA. I'd be going to Maine to get away from the life near Boston, not to try and change your ways. Why would I want to do that? Your way of life is what I seek.

[flycessna]

Have to ask. What was town in Ma? What was the town in Oh?

[Acadianlion]

Your background and mine were slightly similar. I too, grew up in a suburb of Boston. I wanted to get away from that town and everything in it with a near religious furvour and passed up the chance to go to college in Boston for Marietta College in Ohio. There I spent the absolute worst two years of my life. In many ways, Marietta was exactly what you describe as the "perfect" town. And it was so deadly dull and isolated that my experience there was most welcome when it ended and I moved back to eastern Mass and completed my initial education in Boston.

Now you are anticipating retirement to Maine....at least that is what I gather you are looking to do. You want to find the perfect New England town in Maine, but you really want it to be not too threatening, so it needs to be somewhat near a big city. Many, many people who are away feel the same way. It can be done, and I will make a couple of suggestions:

1. Remember this: Maine has 1.2 million people. That's all. The population has been largely static in terms of numbers for several decades.

2. Remember this: Maine's population is largely confined to the southwest corner of the state, which we snobbish Mainers refer to as North Boston. This is an area roughly a triangle from with the base line running from approximately Bath to Bridgton, and the apex Kittery. I am not positive about the percentage, but I believe that it is 60% of Mainers live here.

3. Maine in area, is larger than all five other New England states combined with a bunch of area left over.

4. Maine is very much a state of small towns that are linked poorly by only two major roadways: Route One, which runs from Kittery up the coast and makes a left turn to go to Ft. Kent, and Interstate 95, which links the New Hampshire border with Portland, Lewiston (2nd largest city), Augusta (the capitol), Waterville (quite possibly the small town you seek), Bangor, Orono, Old Town, Millinocket and then on to Aroostook County and Canada.

If you live anywhere in "north Massachusetts" you are "near" Portland. Metro Portland includes a lot of small towns that offer what you seek, but are bedroom towns to Portland. Portland is a wonderful small city.

Once outside of Portland, it gets to be slim pickings. Ellsworth is not a suburb or bedroom community for Bangor, 26 miles away, but it fulfills and lot of those requirments. Ellsworth is a nice small city that is busy being defoliated and deflowered with sprawl and big box development. This is being done more of less by the design of a city council that has all the competance of a set of bowling alley pins. The city will become congested, and ugly by design. Do what you can to bypass Ellsworth.

Bangor is a sprawling small city. I have watched Bangor grow and develop over the past twenty years, and for the life of me, I cannot see what it is trying to do, other than be a place for people to go and shop for endless trinkets. I may sound sour, but I keep expecting Bangor to do big things with the great "gift" that it has, which is the Penobscot River, and nothing seems to happen. Strange.

Of all the small towns and cities in Hancock and Penobscot County, I think that Bucksport is the only one that is really trying to build a future for itself. You might look at Bucksport as a town of the future.

Orono is a good bet for you. It is home to the main campus of the University of Maine system, and is near enough to Bangor to allow you to shop till you drop. And the best part is that the Bangor Symphony Orchestra performs in the auditorium at the University of Maine campus.

And here is the best advise that ANYONE can EVER give you about thinking about moving to Maine. Unless and until you "put your boots on the ground" here, you will be only guessing about what it is like to live in Anytown, Maine. Each town has a different flavor and personality. There are quite a few towns that boast of the kinds of things that you seek, and many small towns that have them all and more....but are so small that if you blink, you will miss the good stuff. You really need to make many trips, spend some time, and see the wonderousness of this great big state that people from away only guess about for the most part.

Years ago, I went to a party in Massachusetts with some friends. There were many nice folks there, and when I told them that I lived in Maine, I was suprised at how many people told me that they "knew" Maine. I encouraged them to tell me about their experiences in Maine,a nd they told me that they had vacationed a couple of times in Kennebunk....or Old Orchard....or Rangely. And therefore, they "knew Maine".

I owned an insurance business here for many years. My clientel were scattered all over the state, and I travelled constantly to service my business. Having grown up summers in the Mt Desert Island area, I was like those folks that I met in Mass years later: assuming that I "knew" Maine.

I have lived here permanently since 1977. I can authoritatively state that I know some things about this great big state.

I hope to live long enough to see all of it.

[mollysmiles]

Holy Cow Ogre....I think you just described Bangor to a T. I know what AcadianLion said about Bangor, and I completely agree to a certain extent. They are absolutely allowing an urban sprawl thing to happen....big box stores are moving in at what seems to me to be an incredible pace. And the worse part, they--the city itself--don't seem have any type of plan for this at all. You know how some areas have architectual features that a big box store must place on it's facade to improve the appearance, or the city insists on planting trees in the meridian and dividing areas of concrete to improve the look of the parking lot. Well, unfortunately, Bangor seems so excited about it's own growth it's completely losing out on the ability to have some type of control!

That being said though.... I lived in the Bangor area for 15 years (including college) and living there is a different feeling than when you go to the area for shopping. Most of the shopping near the mall is almost tucked to one side of the city. It's possible when living there to completely avoid, and even forget that side of Bangor. Bangor has a nice downtown, with small shops locally owned and not catering to tourists. It is a small city with many historic homes. The recreation department is wonderful, and I loved the schools. There is a YMCA and a YWCA, good quality day care, and for me there was a nice atmosphere. We lived in a nice neighborhood were everyone knew everyone, and we'd usually chat with each other in the evenings. There are a number of city parks, 2 city pools, and the riverfront.
Here's a link: Welcome to the City of Bangor

I also agree with acadianlion that Orono fits your description pretty well...I'd check that out too. Nice downtown area, friendly people, smaller community than Bangor, but great for kids. Strong community flavor and traditionally good schools.

I'm not sure how far north you'd want to be...but even Presque Isle may fit for you. I haven't been there in about 10 years, and didn't spend much time there, but northern Maine is beautiful too!

The bottom line though is you have to spend some time here....you may think you want one thing, only to realize you could live in an even smaller community than what you're thinking of, but the opposite could happen too! Good luck and have fun looking!

[MsJL]

...here is the best advise that ANYONE can EVER give you about thinking about moving to Maine. Unless and until you "put your boots on the ground" here, you will be only guessing about what it is like to live in Anytown, Maine. Each town has a different flavor and personality.

Absolutely right.

Acadianlion, you made me miss Orono...

[Trident]

Any health clubs in Bangor? Free weights?

[Elcarim]

You know, Molly, we totally missed the pretty downtown area of Bangor when we were there. We got a little lost on the highways around the area, and I don't think we ever actually saw true Bangor area. We finally gave up and headed back to Belfast that day. I was a little disappointed. I know we won't settle in such a large town, but I do want to get familiar with the area so we can take period shopping/entertainment trips there.

And it's completely stupid that we, from the knarled Houston freeways, loops and toll-roads, could possibly get turned around up there with only 2 major highways through the entire state, but we did!

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by Trident

Any health clubs in Bangor? Free weights?

yup....(and I'm adding to this now because it says "the message you have entered is too short"---should've just added more dots....)

[mollysmiles]

Originally Posted by Elcarim

You know, Molly, we totally missed the pretty downtown area of Bangor when we were there. We got a little lost on the highways around the area, and I don't think we ever actually saw true Bangor area. We finally gave up and headed back to Belfast that day. I was a little disappointed. I know we won't settle in such a large town, but I do want to get familiar with the area so we can take period shopping/entertainment trips there.

And it's completely stupid that we, from the knarled Houston freeways, loops and toll-roads, could possibly get turned around up there with only 2 major highways through the entire state, but we did!

lol...that's too funny! we'll get ya a good map! delorme's is the best

[averagenyjoe]

Anyone from Maine read Down East Magazine. Of course, they will show Maine in the best light possible but are all their featured towns really on the verge of perfection? Out of the various state magazines and literature out there, Maine looks like what is described as heaven.